Dushtha Shasthya Kendra

Dushtha Shasthya Kendra (DSK):
Social Mobilsation, Asset Transfer and Small Business Creation

DSK’s project has been implemented in two phases. The first phase directly supported 10,000 beneficiary households (BHHs) for 3 years. Upon completion of the first phase in early 2012, DSK is currently directly supporting an additional new batch of 15,000 BHHs for another 3 years. Phase 1 BHHs will continue to be monitored and supported by DSK on a needs-basis, and all eligible households from Phase 1 and Phase 2 will benefit from the Nutrition Component addition.

Phase 1
Start Date: 1 April 2009
End Date: 31 March 2012

Phase 2
Start Date: 1 April 2012
End Date: 31 December 2015

Project Area
Dhaka urban slums situated at Kamrangirchar and Korail
See the project areas on Google Maps

Target
10,000 Beneficiary Households (BHH) Phase 1
15,000 Beneficiary Households (BHH) Phase 2

Total = 25,000 BHHs

Years to Graduate
2 years

Budget & Cost per BHH (for Phase 2)
Total livelihoods budget is BDT 340,745,388
cost per BHH is BDT 22,716
of which the direct delivery per BHH is BDT 15,712

Total nutrition budget is BDT 53,491,878
cost per BHH is BDT 2,140
of which the direct delivery per BHH is BDT 1,925

Background of DSK-SHIREE Project
DSK has been working for last 20 years with slum dwellers in Dhaka and Chittagong to improve their living standards through health services, WatSan facilities and improved access to income generating activities for a long time. Their experience in doing this has meant that they are able to implement a scale fund project in two urban slums in Dhaka with the name of “Moving from extreme poverty through the economic empowerment of extreme poor households” since April 2009.

Extreme poor people have migrated to urban areas due to riverbank erosion, natural disasters and a lack of employment. They are contributing to national GDP through working in the informal and formal economy. However, the issue of urban extreme poverty:

1. Has NOT been addressed as a development priority or key development issue;
2. There is NO policy and budget support by the GoB for the urban extreme poor;
3. NO VGD, VGF, old age pension, 100 DAYS WORK programme etc. for the urban extreme poor;
4. Although it was addressed as a human right via Lip service.

Considering the context and growing concern for urban extreme poverty, DSK has initiated this project with the financial assistance of shiree.

Key Aspects

• 80% of the beneficiaries will be: female-headed households; households with elderly dependents, those who have virtually no income, physically challenged persons, and internally displaced or evicted households;
• Participation, capacity building, asset transfer, combined with access to basic service are the key components of the project;
• Forming 100 CBOs for ensuring access to basic services and social entitlements and for protecting assets/business and the management of common asset;
• Developing technical skills and business capabilities of BHHs through economically viable occupations;
• Providing assets and cash stipends to start small businesses aimed at increasing household income;
• Developing five household economic intervention packages that include training, physical assets, cash stipends for pregnant and lactating mother and community services that include health, water and sanitation support as part of the direct delivery to the BHH and development of enterprises;
• Providing cash stipends to pregnant and lactating mothers for six months to ensure a nutritional diet;
• Providing cash stipends to the elderly, physically or intellectually handicapped people to fill the income gap between the period of asset transfer and income generation;
• Following the successful completion of the first year of intervention, the next phases will begin to cover 3000 and 5000 BHH in the year 2 and 3 respectively;
• In case of a planned third year of support, the BHHs will enter in the 4th year for graduation;
• The project is directly implemented by DSK.

Outputs

• Extreme poor women are supported through accumulation of physical and financial capital.
• Increased awareness on human rights and social entitlements;
• Developed technical skills and business capabilities;
• Improved access to water and sanitation facilities and health services;
• Strengthened CBOs for protection and management of common assets and services.

See the works of SHIREE funded project of DSK Bangladesh on flickr